Tottenham are ready to part with the services of Gareth Bale, but only if the transfer triggers the return of Luka Modric to White Hart Lane, according to Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror.

The protracted deal to take Bale to Real Madrid adopted a fresh angle on Wednesday morning as Spurs continue to assess how best to maximise the compensation they receive for the loss of the Wales international. Lewis has more:

Spurs believe Modric may relish the chance to be part of their new-look line-up with £26 million-rated Valencia striker Roberto Soldado set to shatter their transfer record and more signings in the pipeline.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy already expects to land a world-record transfer—above the £80 million Madrid paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo—if he is forced to release his prize asset.

However, the option of a cash-plus-player deal is still on the table after Madrid offered to use Fabio Coentrao and Angel Di Maria as makeweights in the deal.

Argentina international Di Maria is not keen on the switch, according to Lewis, and while Coentrao is an attractive proposition to bolster Spurs’ left-back options, Modric has become the key figure in the transfer.

Madrid lured Modric from North London last summer for £33 million, but the player has failed to truly establish himself in Spain, often stepping off the bench despite making 53 appearances last season.

Levy has proven in past dealings that he is not afraid to re-sign a player who chose to leave the club, taking back Robbie Keane from Liverpool just six months after the striker demanded to move.

Although Modric is a different style of player to Bale, there remains a place for the diminutive playmaker in manager Andre Villas-Boas' first-team plans, with Spurs often found light on creativity from the centre of the park last season.

The Londoners’ interest in Modric has a knock-on effect for Manchester United boss David Moyes, who is planning his own move for the Croatia international, according to Matt Hughes of the The Times(subscription required).

However, if Modric is to make a return to English football, he may well favour a switch to the reigning Premier League champions, who can offer the prestige of Champions League football—the very reason Modric left Spurs for Madrid 12 months ago.